Parteen-Meelick-Coonagh
Graveyards

There is a new graveyard in the parish located in Ballycannon.
This graveyard is under the care of Clare County Council and is located
at a site midway between Parteen and Meelick. This graveyard was opened
in 1987.

The graveyard at Kilquane is situated around the site of
the church ruin. This graveyard contains a large number of tombs and vaults.
There are large tombs to the Holmes and Fitzgerald families. The graveyard
is kept in good condition and the oldest headstone that we came across
was to the memory of Joane Mynaha who died in April 1708.

According to the Ordnance Survey Letters Clare Vol. II of
1839 Philip Mac Adam is also buried in Kilquane graveyard. Mac Adam showed
the army of King William where they could cross the River Shannon to attack
the city of Limerick from the north in 1691. A chain was placed across
the river to enable the soldiers to cross the river. The chain was tide
to a rock on the north side, which became known as Carraig a tSlabhra,
the Rock of the Chain.

MacAdam died on 24 June 1729 at the age of 33 but during
our visit to Kilquane cemetery we were unable to located Mac Adam's grave.

There is also a graveyard in the church grounds in Meelick
village. The oldest headstone that we came across was to the Nix family.
One of the inscriptions on the headstone was to Robert Nix who died on
December 18th 1911.

There is a graveyard in Moneennagliggin South called Moneen.
This graveyard is situated about 200 yards form the roadside. From the
graveyard there is a clear view of the surrounding countryside. The graveyard
has fallen into disuse in recent years. There are some tombs in the graveyard.

The oldest headstone that we came across was from 1801 and it is to the
memory of Margaret Donohue who died on July 7th of that year aged 17.
There is no evidence of a church at this site.

There is also a famine graveyard in Rossmadda, near the Headrace canal
belonging to the power station in Ardnacrusha. There was also a children's
burial ground at this site. The site is visible but is now overgrown by
trees.

According to local man John White, a number of Roman Catholics
are buried in the grounds of the Church of Ireland church in Meelick.
This church is sometimes referred to Punchbowl church even though it is
in the townland of Knockroe. Three catholic families use this graveyard,
the Ringroses, the Frosts, and the Woods. According to The History &
Folklore of Parteen and Meelick there is a headstone to the Ringrose family
in the graveyard. Today four plots to various members of the Frost family
are clearly visible in the graveyard.

Alongside the main road in Meelick in the townland of Knockalisheen,
there is a famine graveyard called Killavoha. The name is derived from
the Irish Cill a Bothar, which means the Church of the Road. However,
there is no evidence that a church was ever on this site. There is only
one visible headstone in this small, narrow graveyard. It is to the memory
of John Brinan (Brennan) who died on March 22nd 1727, aged 32.